The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Ignore Call of Chuthlu. Put aside from your mind all thoughts of madness inducing tomes of eldritch magic. Forget the unpronounceable alien names. Rid yourself of all Great Old Ones, callus cosmic entities, and other well-known hallmarks of Lovecraft and his work.

Once you have done that, you are prepared to read “The Quest of Iranon.” It is an early short story by H. P. Lovecraft. Most likely you haven’t heard of it. It is unlike the stories for which he is famous.

It is a fantasy story from back in the days when Lord Dunsany heavily influenced his style. You can just see the beginnings of Lovecraft’s distinctive voice peeking out around the edges of the purple prose in this story.

The narrative follows the travels of a Prince-in-Exile named Iranon and his search for Aira the city of his birth. As he travels he regales the people he meets with the stories of his youth in this fair city. He sings songs and tells tales all based on the pleasant memories of the city he longs to find again.

Although different in tone and subject matter from his latter work, there are many things that tie it into other stories by Lovecraft. For instance, the end comes simultaneously with the climax of the story. There is no falling action. This is a technique Lovecraft used extensively. Indeed, those inclined to be critical of him could say he overuses the technique. I, however, am rarely critical of this author [NOTE: To those of you who keep track of bias, Lovecraft is my favorite author of all time.]

Another connecting element is the very world through which Iranon travels. Lovecraft describes it with simple but somehow haunting language. His words make the world seem alive. When he talks of Sarnath, we know there is a story behind the area, even though he only uses a single phrase to describe the place. You feel the same way when you read of “Stethelos that is below the great cataract.” You yearn to further explore this strange and fantastic world. Fortunately, Lovecraft wrote other stories set in this land. Most famous of which is The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath.

Yes, but what does this odd little piece of Lovecraftian fantasy have to do with role-playing you ask? For that we have to stretch a little. First and foremost, I view this story as a refreshing antidote to the massive glut of Tolkienesque fantasy that pervades our hobby. Don’t get me wrong, I love Professor Tolkien and his work, but I feel that we are badly in need of a few more fantasy games that don’t slavishly copy his ideas. Not to discount existing games such as Talislanta and Stormbringer. I know there are some original fantasy games out there, simply not enough for my tastes.

Secondly, the story’s main character is ripe for stealing. Aside from just making a 3rd edition Dungeons and Dragons bard named Iranon, you could defiantly use his defining characteristics as a springboard for your own character ideas. Other aspects of this story that are easily stolen are the cities and place names. I personally have trouble making up names of any kind. Thus I end up stealing them from obscure sources.

Finally, I feel that if you can’t see the value in a story that is well written and beautifully told; then you should look into another hobby.

I will end by giving you an address where you can read the story and make up your own mind: http://www.gizmology.net/lovecraft/works/iranon.htm If you prefer to read things in a more traditional way and don’t mind spending a few dollars for a collection of short stories, then Amazon.com will sell you “The Dream Cycle of H.P. Lovecraft : Dreams of Terror and Death” for a little under ten dollars. This is, of course, the anthology in which “The Quest of Iranon” is printed.

“That night something of youth and beauty died in the elder world.” -- H. P. Lovecraft

The Quest of Iranon
The Quest of Iranon Capsule Review by Mr. Soft on 14/08/01 Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 4 (Meaty) A story you probably haven't heard of by an author you thought you knew. Product: The Quest of Iranon Author: H. P. Lovecraft Category: Short Story Company/Publisher: none Line: Cost: free Page count: about 4 Year published: 1935 (written 1921) ISBN: SKU: Comp copy?: no Capsule Review by Mr. Soft on 14/08/01 Genre tags: Fantasy Gothic	Ignore Call of Chuthlu. Put aside from your mind all thoughts of madness inducing tomes of eldritch magic. Forget the unpronounceable alien names. Rid yourself of all Great Old Ones, callus cosmic entities, and other well-known hallmarks of Lovecraft and his work. Once you have done that, you are prepared to read “The Quest of Iranon.” It is an early short story by H. P. Lovecraft. Most likely you haven’t heard of it. It is unlike the stories for which he is famous. It is a fantasy story from back in the days when Lord Dunsany heavily influenced his style. You can just see the beginnings of Lovecraft’s distinctive voice peeking out around the edges of the purple prose in this story. The narrative follows the travels of a Prince-in-Exile named Iranon and his search for Aira the city of his birth. As he travels he regales the people he meets with the stories of his youth in this fair city. He sings songs and tells tales all based on the pleasant memories of the city he longs to find again. Although different in tone and subject matter from his latter work, there are many things that tie it into other stories by Lovecraft. For instance, the end comes simultaneously with the climax of the story. There is no falling action. This is a technique Lovecraft used extensively. Indeed, those inclined to be critical of him could say he overuses the technique. I, however, am rarely critical of this author [NOTE: To those of you who keep track of bias, Lovecraft is my favorite author of all time.] Another connecting element is the very world through which Iranon travels. Lovecraft describes it with simple but somehow haunting language. His words make the world seem alive. When he talks of Sarnath, we know there is a story behind the area, even though he only uses a single phrase to describe the place. You feel the same way when you read of “Stethelos that is below the great cataract.” You yearn to further explore this strange and fantastic world. Fortunately, Lovecraft wrote other stories set in this land. Most famous of which is The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath. Yes, but what does this odd little piece of Lovecraftian fantasy have to do with role-playing you ask? For that we have to stretch a little. First and foremost, I view this story as a refreshing antidote to the massive glut of Tolkienesque fantasy that pervades our hobby. Don’t get me wrong, I love Professor Tolkien and his work, but I feel that we are badly in need of a few more fantasy games that don’t slavishly copy his ideas. Not to discount existing games such as Talislanta and Stormbringer. I know there are some original fantasy games out there, simply not enough for my tastes. Secondly, the story’s main character is ripe for stealing. Aside from just making a 3rd edition Dungeons and Dragons bard named Iranon, you could defiantly use his defining characteristics as a springboard for your own character ideas. Other aspects of this story that are easily stolen are the cities and place names. I personally have trouble making up names of any kind. Thus I end up stealing them from obscure sources. Finally, I feel that if you can’t see the value in a story that is well written and beautifully told; then you should look into another hobby. I will end by giving you an address where you can read the story and make up your own mind: http://www.gizmology.net/lovecraft/works/iranon.htm If you prefer to read things in a more traditional way and don’t mind spending a few dollars for a collection of short stories, then Amazon.com will sell you “The Dream Cycle of H.P. Lovecraft : Dreams of Terror and Death” for a little under ten dollars. This is, of course, the anthology in which “The Quest of Iranon” is printed. “That night something of youth and beauty died in the elder world.” -- H. P. Lovecraft